In Kya Sands, an industrial suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, mountains of illegally dumped rubbish have engulfed roads and surrounding valleys after a nearby municipal landfill closed in 2010 and refuse collection fell into chronic disarray. Residents report rubbish going uncollected for weeks, with smoke rising from areas where waste is burned — raising serious health concerns, particularly for children. Municipal councillor Devon Steenkamp attributed the crisis to years of mismanagement rather than isolated incidents, while experts note the problem reflects a broader struggle faced by rapidly growing cities across Africa to safely handle rising volumes of waste.